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The water we “eat”

The Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has been observing World Water Day since its inception. It is an important occasion for all those working on water issues, including the WCC, to highlight the global water crisis. Particularly the Lenten campaign of the WCC, the “Seven Weeks for Water”, is an opportunity to galvanise its constituencies to discuss issues around water.

Tonga, surrounded by water, yet can’t take it for granted

In Tonga there is lot of water to see, but not necessarily a lot for people to use. Mele’ana Puloka, a member of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, is World Council of Churches president for the Pacific, living on the islands that have a population of about 106,000.

WCC holds photo contest

Do you have a photo that tells a story about water justice? As part of the Lenten campaign “Seven Weeks for Water”, the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) is promoting a photo contest on Instagram encouraging people to share images of water in their daily lives.

Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 6: "Palestinians deprived of clean water, an essential human right", by Simona Abderhalden

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. (Isaiah 1:17)

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come (Isaiah 55:1)

Access to water and sanitation is a human right. This human right is in itself essential for life and dignity, but it is also the foundation for achieving a wealth of other human rights, including the right to health and the right to development.”

(Navanethem Pillay[1] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014)

WCC Programmes

Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 4: "Water: from a spiritual feature to a factor of discrimination in the Holy Land", by Fr Michel Jalakh

The gap between demand and supply of water in the Middle East--and the urgent need to reduce the gap needs to be discussed seriously. We need to address the challenges and the available opportunities to ensure sustainability of water in the region. Today, on the eve of Lent, and upon the attention of the international organizations and non-governmental and humanitarian organizations upon the subject of water, due to its importance for the continuity of life and by coincidence with the World Water Day, several questions are asked in terms of the Middle East as a whole or the Holy Land in particular. Water is a basic necessity of daily life, and cannot be dispensed with because of its importance for humans, animals and plants. Towns and villages were established only where there was a resource of water. In this context, Apostle Peter says, "By God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water." (2 Peter 3:5).

WCC Programmes

Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 3: "Pilgrimage of Justice through the Beatitudes of Matthew (5:3-12)", by Ani Ghazaryan Drissi

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..." 

(Matthew 5:6a)

The justice and righteousness of the fourth beatitude are presented by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew as a necessity. This justice is the way to happiness promised by the fourth beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Only those who hunger and thirst for divine justice will be satisfied and filled with happiness. However, for centuries, a major question arises over the meaning of this justice: what is the justice that Matthew presents? Why, contrary to the evangelist Luke who presents a physical hunger and thirst (Luke 6:21), does Matthew emphasize the need to suffer hunger and thirst for righteousness? What kind of justice does the first Gospel present?

WCC Programmes

Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 2: "The water of life - not in Palestine. A Kairos perspective", by Hind Khoury

“To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” 

(Revelation 21:6) 

It is not a coincidence that our holy book, the Bible, comes from a desert area: Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. In fact, water has been and continues to be truly the source and essence of life. What the Israelites experienced in biblical times, drought and water shortages, is the experience of Palestinians today.

WCC Programmes

Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 1: "And we are still thirsty for water!", by Bishop Munib Younan

Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem, the Holy City. As an Arab Christian, I am thankful for the opportunity to write a reflection for this year’s “Seven Weeks for Water”. Of course, this part of the world always has been dealing with water issues because of its dry climate and few water resources. Today, however, the Palestinian people face an even greater water challenge. It is a crisis that grows worse year after year.

WCC Programmes